FIRST BOOK ON CAMBRIDGE SPECIALS

Nothing like a mystery to start the ball rolling and Stuart would welcome clarification, or simply opinions, on this one. This is Ken Jarvis at Dancer’s End hillclimb on Sunday, May 5, 1935 in what is thought to be a very early Williams-built car (i.e. a J2 W type) However, the latter point is not absolutely certain. Other pictures exist of the racing driver George Abecassis sat in this car, raising the question, is he the owner and possibly builder, rather than Jarvis and Williams respectively? If you know, the information would be much appreciated. (Photo Charleen Miller.)

Stuart Ulph has been fascinated by Cambridge Specials since his youth (he now preserves a selection) and has spent the last decade painstakingly researching the often obscure, always confusing, history of Londoner, Leslie Mark Williams and his companies. Now he has produced the first detailed account of their activities. The 1950s were the golden age of Special building; before taxation and legislation made the craft impractical to pursue. For most of this period the Austin Seven was widely regarded as the ideal base car and the doyen of those who would, either build you a machine, or sell you the bits and provide the wisdom, to do it yourself, was L M (Bill) Williams of Cambridge Engineering. The book carefully charts, as far as is known and in telling detail, the history of, at first, Auto Conversions in Willesden and later Cambridge Engineering at Kew. The work moves on to chronicle the stories of the nine, one-off Specials Williams created, either for himself or enthusiastic amateur racers of his day. By any standards – even those of dyed-in-the-oil Austin Seven enthusiasts – this is specialist stuff. Yet it is hugely important, especially as some of the cars survive in racing trim. But perhaps the most important aspect of all about Ulph’s book is it goes far beyond the detail of Cambridge to give us an illuminating insight into club racing In the late 1930s, late ’40s, and the 1950s and early 60s. They are all here; Pete Almack, Ken Jarvis, Jack French and such luminaries in the world of race preparation as Thomson & Taylor, skilfully captured in word, documentation and phrase by Ulph in his extensive appendices. Furthermore, we get an intriguing insight into Williams’s personality, subtly portrayed in terms that leave the reader to form his own conclusions! This is an engaging, often chirpy book that reaches far beyond its core subject and rather unenticing title.Would Suit Enthusist LM Williams and His Austin Seven SpecialsStuart Ulph, published by The Pre-War Austin Seven Club, 2012pp 122 ISBN 978-0-9572426-1-6 £16.95 incl UK p & p.